For Release: Thursday, April 07, 2016
MIDWEST INFORMATION OFFICE: Chicago, Ill.
Technical information: (312) 353-1880 [email protected]
Media contact:
(312) 353-1138
16-454-CHI
www.bls.gov/regions/midwest
County Employment and Wages in Minnesota — Third Quarter 2015
Employment increased in 7 of the 8 large counties in Minnesota from September 2014 to September 2015,
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are defined as those with employment of
75,000 or more as measured by 2014 annual average employment.) Washington County had the largest
increase, up 2.8 percent, followed by Hennepin (2.0 percent) and Olmsted (1.7 percent). Assistant
Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the rates of job growth in Washington
and Hennepin Counties were above the national increase of 1.9 percent. (See table 1.)
Among the eight largest counties in Minnesota, employment was highest in Hennepin (888,500) in
September 2015, followed by Ramsey (330,000). Two other counties—Dakota and Anoka—each had
employment levels of more than 100,000. Collectively, Minnesota's eight large counties accounted for 67.0
percent of total employment within the state. Nationwide, the 342 largest counties made up 72.2 percent of
total U.S. employment.
The average weekly wage in Stearns County rose 4.8 percent from the third quarter of 2014 to the third
quarter of 2015, the largest increase among Minnesota's large counties. Hennepin County had the highest
average weekly wage in the state at $1,198, followed by Olmsted ($1,113) and Ramsey ($1,073). (See table
1.) Nationally, the average weekly wage rose 2.6 percent over the year to $974 in the third quarter of 2015.
Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 79 counties in
Minnesota with employment below 75,000. Average weekly wages in all of the smaller counties were below
the national average. (See table 2.)
Large county wage changes
All of the eight large counties in Minnesota had wage increases from the third quarter of 2014 to the third
quarter of 2015. Five of these counties had wage increases that were greater than the national increase of 2.6
percent. (See table 1.) Stearns County’s 4.8-percent wage gain ranked 13th among the 342 largest U.S.
counties. Three other large counties ranked among the top 100 nationwide for wage growth: Washington
(3.6 percent, 64th), Anoka (3.5 percent, 72nd), and Olmsted (3.4 percent, 77th).
Nationally, 319 of the 342 largest counties registered over-the-year wage increases. Rockland, N.Y., had the
largest wage gain, up 24.9 percent from the third quarter of 2014. Lake, Ill., was second with a wage
increase of 11.7 percent; followed by Onondaga, N.Y. (6.5 percent); Washington, Ore. (6.4 percent); and
Marin, Calif., and Santa Cruz, Calif. (6.1 percent each).
Among the largest U.S. counties, 20 experienced over-the-year wage decreases. Midland, Texas, had the
largest wage decrease with a loss of 6.7 percent. Ector, Texas, had the second largest decrease in average
weekly wages, down 4.9 percent from the third quarter 2014; followed by Lafayette, La. (-3.2 percent);
Stark, Ohio (-2.1 percent); and Gregg, Texas (-1.5 percent).
Large county average weekly wages
Average weekly wages in 3 of Minnesota’s 8 large counties were above the national average of $974 in the
third quarter of 2015. As noted, Hennepin County ($1,198) had the highest average weekly wage in the
state, ranking 26th among the 342 largest U.S. counties. Olmsted ($1,113) and Ramsey ($1,073) placed 49th
and 57th, respectively. Washington ($810) reported the lowest average weekly wage among the state’s
largest counties and ranked 265th nationwide.
Nationwide, average weekly wages were above the U.S. average ($974) in 100 of the 342 largest counties in
the third quarter of 2015. Santa Clara, Calif., recorded the highest average weekly wage at $2,090, followed
by San Mateo, Calif. ($1,894); New York, N.Y. ($1,829); San Francisco, Calif. ($1,712); and Washington,
D.C. ($1,667).
Among the largest U.S. counties, 242 had weekly wages below the national average in the third quarter of
2015. Horry County, S.C. ($598), reported the lowest wage, followed by Cameron, Texas ($615); Hidalgo
Texas ($624); Webb, Texas ($658); and Marion, Fla. ($658).
Average weekly wages in Minnesota’s smaller counties
Among the 79 smaller counties in the state (those with employment below 75,000), Goodhue County had
the highest average weekly wage at $934, followed by Carver County at $932. Cass County had the lowest
weekly wage among the smaller counties at $551. (See table 2.)
When all 87 counties in Minnesota were considered, 18 reported average weekly wages of $649 or less, 36
had wages from $650 to $749, 25 reported wages from $750 to $849, and 8 had wages of $850 or higher.
(See chart 1.)
Additional statistics and other information
Quarterly data for states have been included in this release in table 3. For additional information about
quarterly employment and wages data, please read the Technical Note or visit the QCEW Web site at
www.bls.gov/cew.
Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online features comprehensive information by detailed industry
on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and all states. The 2014 edition of this publication
contains selected data produced by Business Employment Dynamics (BED) on job gains and losses, as well
as selected data from the first quarter 2015 version of the national news release. Tables and additional
content from Employment and Wages Annual Averages 2014 are now available online at https://
www.bls.gov/cew/cewbultn14.htm. The 2015 edition of Employment and Wages Annual Averages Online
will be available in September 2016.
The County Employment and Wages release for fourth quarter 2015 is scheduled to be released on
Wednesday, June 8, 2016.
2
Technical Note
Average weekly wage data by county are compiled under the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
(QCEW) program, also known as the ES-202 program. The data are derived from summaries of
employment and total pay of workers covered by state and federal unemployment insurance (UI) legislation
and provided by State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The 9.6 million employer reports cover 140.4 million
full- and part-time workers. The average weekly wage values are calculated by dividing quarterly total
wages by the average of the three monthly employment levels of those covered by UI programs. The result
is then divided by 13, the number of weeks in a quarter. It is to be noted, therefore, that over-the-year wage
changes for geographic areas may reflect shifts in the composition of employment by industry, occupation,
and such other factors as hours of work. Thus, wages may vary among counties, metropolitan areas, or
states for reasons other than changes in the average wage level. Data for all states, Metropolitan Statistical
Areas (MSAs), counties, and the nation are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/cew/; however,
data in QCEW press releases have been revised and may not match the data contained on the Bureau’s Web
site.
QCEW data are not designed as a time series. QCEW data are simply the sums of individual establishment
records reflecting the number of establishments that exist in a county or industry at a point in time.
Establishments can move in or out of a county or industry for a number of reasons–some reflecting
economic events, others reflecting administrative changes.
The preliminary QCEW data presented in this release may differ from data released by the individual states
as well as from the data presented on the BLS Web site. These potential differences result from the states’
continuing receipt, review and editing of UI data over time. On the other hand, differences between data in
this release and the data found on the BLS Web site are the result of adjustments made to improve over-theyear comparisons. Specifically, these adjustments account for administrative (noneconomic) changes such
as a correction to a previously reported location or industry classification. Adjusting for these administrative
changes allows users to more accurately assess changes of an economic nature (such as a firm moving from
one county to another or changing its primary economic activity) over a 12-month period. Currently,
adjusted data are available only from BLS press releases.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice
phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
3
Table 1. Covered employment and wages in the United States and the 8 largest counties in Minnesota, third
quarter 2015
Average weekly wage (1)
Employment
Area
September
2015
(thousands)
Percent
change,
September
2014-15 (2)
National
ranking by
percent
change (3)
Average
weekly
wage
National
ranking by
level (3)
Percent
change,
third quarter
2014-15 (2)
National
ranking by
percent
change (3)
United States (4)...........................................
140,442.2
1.9
--
$974
--
2.6
--
Minnesota................................................
Anoka, Minn. ........................................
Dakota, Minn. .......................................
Hennepin, Minn. ...................................
Olmsted, Minn. .....................................
Ramsey, Minn.......................................
St. Louis, Minn......................................
Stearns, Minn. ......................................
Washington, Minn.................................
2,800.7
119.3
184.0
888.5
94.2
330.0
97.7
84.9
79.4
1.4
0.7
0.3
2.0
1.7
1.2
-0.2
0.2
2.8
-266
301
151
186
221
319
307
104
990
968
944
1,198
1,113
1,073
836
825
810
14
102
121
26
49
57
231
246
265
2.6
3.5
2.8
2.0
3.4
1.7
1.6
4.8
3.6
22
72
138
228
77
253
259
13
64
Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Percent changes were computed from quarterly employment and pay data adjusted for noneconomic county reclassifications.
(3) Ranking does not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(4) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
4
Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Minnesota, third quarter
2015
Area
Employment September 2015
Average weekly wage (1)
(2)......................................................................................
140,442,224
$974
Minnesota............................................................................................
Aitkin................................................................................................
Anoka ..............................................................................................
Becker .............................................................................................
Beltrami ...........................................................................................
Benton .............................................................................................
Big Stone .........................................................................................
Blue Earth........................................................................................
Brown ..............................................................................................
Carlton .............................................................................................
Carver..............................................................................................
Cass ................................................................................................
Chippewa ........................................................................................
Chisago ...........................................................................................
Clay .................................................................................................
Clearwater .......................................................................................
Cook ................................................................................................
Cottonwood .....................................................................................
Crow Wing.......................................................................................
Dakota .............................................................................................
Dodge ..............................................................................................
Douglas ...........................................................................................
Faribault ..........................................................................................
Fillmore............................................................................................
Freeborn..........................................................................................
Goodhue..........................................................................................
Grant ...............................................................................................
Hennepin .........................................................................................
Houston ...........................................................................................
Hubbard...........................................................................................
Isanti ................................................................................................
Itasca ...............................................................................................
Jackson ...........................................................................................
Kanabec ..........................................................................................
Kandiyohi.........................................................................................
Kittson .............................................................................................
Koochiching.....................................................................................
Lac qui Parle ...................................................................................
Lake.................................................................................................
Lake of the Woods ..........................................................................
Le Sueur..........................................................................................
Lincoln .............................................................................................
Lyon.................................................................................................
McLeod............................................................................................
Mahnomen ......................................................................................
Marshall...........................................................................................
Martin ..............................................................................................
Meeker ............................................................................................
Mille Lacs ........................................................................................
Morrison ..........................................................................................
Mower..............................................................................................
Murray .............................................................................................
Nicollet.............................................................................................
Nobles .............................................................................................
Norman............................................................................................
2,800,745
3,827
119,252
14,120
19,357
17,100
1,811
38,734
14,038
13,583
37,459
10,446
5,602
14,931
18,774
2,778
3,277
4,806
29,199
184,010
6,034
18,456
4,989
6,111
11,958
21,586
1,903
888,484
5,067
6,160
10,981
16,796
5,552
3,675
23,220
1,465
4,692
2,258
4,386
1,588
9,215
1,691
14,723
17,661
2,029
2,344
8,565
7,313
9,578
10,822
16,469
3,162
14,532
10,464
1,637
990
630
968
702
738
746
688
773
750
760
932
551
661
766
708
794
559
655
695
944
783
754
668
596
772
934
707
1,198
585
665
722
770
683
706
687
699
758
626
800
600
734
615
758
798
608
743
757
667
638
644
841
605
755
744
689
United States
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
5
Table 2. Covered employment and wages in the United States and all counties in Minnesota, third quarter
2015 - Continued
Area
Employment September 2015
Olmsted ...........................................................................................
Otter Tail ..........................................................................................
Pennington ......................................................................................
Pine .................................................................................................
Pipestone ........................................................................................
Polk .................................................................................................
Pope ................................................................................................
Ramsey ...........................................................................................
Red Lake .........................................................................................
Redwood .........................................................................................
Renville............................................................................................
Rice .................................................................................................
Rock ................................................................................................
Roseau ............................................................................................
St. Louis ..........................................................................................
Scott ................................................................................................
Sherburne........................................................................................
Sibley...............................................................................................
Stearns ............................................................................................
Steele ..............................................................................................
Stevens ...........................................................................................
Swift.................................................................................................
Todd.................................................................................................
Traverse ..........................................................................................
Wabasha .........................................................................................
Wadena ...........................................................................................
Waseca............................................................................................
Washington......................................................................................
Watonwan........................................................................................
Wilkin ...............................................................................................
Winona ............................................................................................
Wright ..............................................................................................
Yellow Medicine...............................................................................
94,202
22,680
10,647
8,369
4,543
12,598
4,310
329,952
1,016
6,421
5,889
24,063
3,588
8,236
97,662
47,213
25,885
3,976
84,877
21,481
5,538
3,527
6,017
1,066
7,228
5,947
6,797
79,381
3,943
1,958
24,872
41,673
3,949
Average weekly wage (1)
1,113
691
760
577
647
699
799
1,073
615
643
719
814
655
757
836
884
773
684
825
737
795
667
657
621
661
713
745
810
604
720
730
749
688
Footnotes
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
NOTE: Includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
Data are preliminary.
6
Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, third quarter 2015
Average weekly wage (1)
Employment
State
September
2015
(thousands)
Percent
change,
September
2014-15
Average
weekly wage
Percent
change, third
quarter
2014-15
National
ranking by
level
National
ranking by
percent
change
United States (2)...............................................
140,442.2
1.9
$974
--
2.6
--
Alabama .......................................................
Alaska...........................................................
Arizona .........................................................
Arkansas ......................................................
California ......................................................
Colorado.......................................................
Connecticut ..................................................
Delaware ......................................................
District of Columbia ......................................
Florida ..........................................................
Georgia.........................................................
Hawaii...........................................................
Idaho ............................................................
Illinois ...........................................................
Indiana..........................................................
Iowa ..............................................................
Kansas .........................................................
Kentucky.......................................................
Louisiana ......................................................
Maine............................................................
Maryland.......................................................
Massachusetts .............................................
Michigan .......................................................
Minnesota.....................................................
Mississippi ....................................................
Missouri ........................................................
Montana .......................................................
Nebraska ......................................................
Nevada .........................................................
New Hampshire............................................
New Jersey...................................................
New Mexico..................................................
New York ......................................................
North Carolina ..............................................
North Dakota ................................................
Ohio ..............................................................
Oklahoma .....................................................
Oregon .........................................................
Pennsylvania ................................................
Rhode Island ................................................
South Carolina..............................................
South Dakota................................................
Tennessee ....................................................
Texas ............................................................
Utah ..............................................................
Vermont ........................................................
Virginia..........................................................
Washington...................................................
West Virginia ................................................
Wisconsin .....................................................
Wyoming ......................................................
Puerto Rico...................................................
1,893.6
346.4
2,613.9
1,193.4
16,474.4
2,513.0
1,668.3
436.3
743.6
8,023.2
4,171.1
635.4
680.3
5,888.6
2,971.7
1,535.9
1,370.9
1,852.5
1,926.3
609.7
2,607.8
3,446.9
4,203.0
2,800.7
1,118.9
2,737.9
457.9
964.0
1,254.5
642.8
3,933.9
809.2
9,065.4
4,194.1
438.0
5,282.7
1,598.0
1,812.8
5,722.1
477.4
1,959.7
419.5
2,850.6
11,681.0
1,353.9
308.2
3,759.7
3,187.6
702.4
2,815.7
287.4
891.1
1.2
0.4
2.9
1.9
3.0
2.9
0.2
2.1
1.4
3.5
2.8
1.4
3.3
1.3
1.6
0.4
0.6
1.4
-0.2
0.7
1.3
1.4
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.9
1.9
1.4
3.2
1.5
1.4
0.6
1.8
2.5
-3.8
1.2
0.2
3.0
0.8
1.2
2.9
0.9
2.7
2.1
3.7
0.5
2.5
2.5
-1.1
0.9
-1.5
-0.7
830
1,041
889
756
1,134
1,006
1,147
963
1,667
852
916
896
736
1,020
818
823
809
804
858
779
1,067
1,197
921
990
706
846
759
811
862
952
1,116
798
1,180
863
956
878
825
924
961
919
788
756
864
999
829
829
1,014
1,111
785
834
866
512
34
9
24
48
5
12
4
15
1
31
22
23
50
10
39
38
41
42
30
46
8
2
20
14
51
32
47
40
29
18
6
43
3
28
17
25
37
19
16
21
44
48
27
13
35
35
11
7
45
33
26
1.8
2.2
1.5
2.6
3.4
2.4
2.0
0.3
2.3
3.1
2.8
3.1
2.1
3.9
2.4
3.0
1.8
2.9
0.7
3.3
2.4
3.0
2.7
2.6
1.3
2.2
3.7
4.2
2.5
2.7
2.6
1.3
3.1
3.0
-2.3
1.9
0.0
4.4
2.5
2.6
2.6
3.1
3.2
1.1
3.2
3.0
2.5
2.2
0.9
3.5
-1.1
1.4
40
34
42
22
6
30
38
48
33
10
19
10
37
3
30
14
40
18
47
7
30
14
20
22
43
34
4
2
27
20
22
43
10
14
51
39
49
1
27
22
22
10
8
45
8
14
27
34
46
5
50
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
7
(3)
(3)
Table 3. Covered employment and wages by state, third quarter 2015 - Continued
Average weekly wage (1)
Employment
State
Virgin Islands ................................................
September
2015
(thousands)
Percent
change,
September
2014-15
36.8
-2.1
Average
weekly wage
738
Percent
change, third
quarter
2014-15
National
ranking by
level
(3)
National
ranking by
percent
change
2.1
Footnotes:
(1) Average weekly wages were calculated using unrounded data.
(2) Totals for the United States do not include data for Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.
(3) Data not included in the national ranking.
Note: Data are preliminary. Covered employment and wages includes workers covered by Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) programs.
8
(3)
9